Scientist shouldn’t create policies

Science should be used to inform the public and help them create environmental policies, says Eli Lehrer in The Huffington Post. Policy can’t be created on science alone because it can’t answer all the questions, says Lehrer.

2 Responses

100% Correct! Scientists only know their very focused part of the world. Public policy determines how our communal dollars are spent. To do that political leaders need to evaluate the science “need” against all other uses of tax money. Scientists cannot weigh the importance of their cause against economic development, welfare needs, or whether a new cheese museum is a better use of our tax dollars.

And politicians only know their very focused part of the world: getting elected and re-elected. “Public policy” is determined by who donates to a politician. If that donor happens to operate coal-fired mercury-polluting factories then you can kiss environmental concerns good-bye, science or no science. Any way we can push science away from politicians’ unscrupulous tendencies, the better.